Two by Two
by W.S.C. Magica De Spell
Summary: As the team searches for a killer who is eliminating law enforcement, what will happen when two of their own go missing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** My typed, albeit late, submission to the Fanfic Challenge Round 4 Pick Your Own Pairing challenge. Flashbacks are italicized. The town name is fictional to avoid misrepresenting a city. This has not been beta read so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

**Disclaimer: **Do I own Criminal Minds? Do cows sing opera...? I hope so.

_**When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it-always.**_

_Mahatma Gandhi_

Moaning softly the young liaison gradually opened her blue eyes and blinked slowly. Grimacing slightly, JJ painfully sat up and glanced around at her surroundings. She sat on the dusty wooden floor of an abandon room save for a light bulb dangling precariously from the ceiling. As JJ attempted to stand to further explore her surroundings a white hot pain finally registered in her body and she quickly crumpled back to the ground unconscious.

_JJ sat in her office searching through her large stack of horrendous possible cases before one caught her eye. After giving it a brief overview, she summoned the team to the conference room and presented the new case. "12 bodies have been discovered in Millsbury, New Jersey over the past six weeks, all of them were in law enforcement. The bodies show signs of torture and were stripped of their clothes."_

"_The unsub took two a week, he probably doesn't have a job that requires a typical 9 to 5 schedule," Morgan added._

"_Not only that but they were partners, one male one female both physically strong enough to take down someone twice their size," Reid interjected._

"_This suggests that the unsub presumably attacked them from behind," commented Prentiss._

"_All right, wheels up in 10," Hotch said as he departed. _

In another room in the well hidden, ancient house, Hotch lie on an uncomfortable, pathetic excuse for a mattress. He slowly rolled over until he hit the floor with an unforgiving thud. Dazed he opened his eyes and bit back a wave of nausea. After regaining his senses, he carefully sat up to inspect himself and locate the source of the nearly unbearable pain. When he glanced at his body he was taken aback at what he saw. His clothes were nowhere to be found and his body was covered in various burns and cuts; grimacing he tried to piece together what had happened.

_The bodies had been found in a small clearing in the woods off the beaten path by a lost hiker. The unsub had placed them face up and nude to enhance the shock value. The deputy led them to the location before mumbling something about being late and making a hasty exit leaving them alone in the woods. Hotch couldn't blame him for wanting to get away so quickly; the biggest crime the middle aged deputy had probably seen was vandalism. Although he had been to plenty of crime scenes, he still got a shiver up his spine when he saw what human beings could do to one another. Hotch extracted himself from his thoughts and turned his attention to the inquisitive blonde standing next to him._

"_JJ, do a quick scan and see if you notice anything the cops might have missed, remember they're not used to dealing with homicides. I'll check over here and see if I can't find anything that shows how he got his victims out here. This path is hard enough to negotiate alone, much less while carrying a body."_

_At this JJ nodded and headed off deeper into the woods to search for clues. While she looked around she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Feeling like a small animal under the watchful eye of a predator, she turned to make a hasty return back to Hotch. Before she could get to her feet however, she felt a heavy hand clasp over her mouth._

_Struggling vehemently she tried to free herself but it was all in vain. As she tried to avoid breathing, she couldn't help but inhale some of the sweet-smelling scent. Her last thought before she drifted into unconsciousness was that Hotch would miraculously come to her rescue._

"_JJ," Hotch called out, "where are you?" Hotch had come back from his thorough exploration of the woods and found what seemed to be tracks like that of an ATV. He presumed the vehicle most likely had a flatbed attachment or else the bodies might roll out. JJ had left to do a quick search of the woods 10 minutes ago. All he asked her to do was a visual scan not break out her field kit and do a detailed search. Hotch wandered into the thicket of woods where JJ had disappeared into. _

_Hotch glanced around for a few minutes before he took a sudden intake of air. One the ground before him lay his agent._

"_JJ, can you hear me, please open your eyes."_

_The unit chief dropped to his knees instantly and felt for a pulse. Slowly he let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding after feeling the steady beating of her steady pulse. His relief was short lived however as his world exploded into color._

_Jacobson stood behind Hotch, the large, rusty, shovel still in his hand. With a disturbed grin, he looked down at his newest collection of toys to play with. He only hoped these would last longer than the others. _

**You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far. **

Uncle Remus


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N **Wow, I can't believe I made it to chapter 2 but I definitely couldn't have done it without your kind reviews so thanks to everyone who reviewed and even read it. In this chapter both scenarios are in present time. This has not been beta read so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own

**In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher ~ **Dalai Lama

Hotch was snapped out of his stupor by the heavy clang of the iron door. As he focused his attention to the unwanted intruder, he took the opportunity to steal a glance at his captor. A big, burly man in his late 30's strolled in. He calmly walked over to the unit chief and grinned.

"I see you're awake. It's about time, now we can have some fun."

Hotch looked the man dead in his eyes and asked his question.

"Who are you and what do you want."

Smirking, the man replied.

"Oh I think you already know the answer to that one Agent Hotchner. You see I've done some research on you and your blonde companion and I have to say I'm impressed. I didn't think I was worthy enough to attract the attention of someone as high on the food chain as you. I've been at this game for a while and none of the pathetic cops could catch me so to watch you and your team attempt to find me will certainly be interesting; even more so since I have their fearless leader. Well Agent Hotchner I look forward to how long you can withstand that facade. Now if you'll excuse me I have a certain blue eyed blonde to attend to. See you soon Agent."

Hotch watched in bewilderment as the man stomped out of the small enclosure and seconds later he heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking shut. Closing his eyes he sighed and sent a small prayer that the team would find them soon.

_H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ H JJ _

_Meanwhile back at the police station the team had gathered in the commons area and awaited the arrival of Hotch and JJ. Prentiss and Morgan struck out on interviewing the victims' families. They all said they had enemies but no one that would do something like that. Rossi and Reid had the same amount of luck at the morgue. The coroner could tell them nothing except that a variety of torture mechanisms were used to inflict the maximum amount of pain yet they all died from having their throats slit._

"_Where are they? They left to inspect the woods hours ago," Morgan grumbled impatiently._

"_Maybe they just got caught in traffic, statics show that small towns seem to have an increase of traffic around two o'clock instead of the five o'clock rush hour that happens in big cities. This is most likely because of…_

"_Reid we get it, they're just running late," Emily intervened. _

_Spencer looked slightly dejected at having his explanation cut short perked up at the beep of the coffee maker announcing the pot was brewed._

_After fifteen minutes of waiting however, the group began to grow restless. Rossi picked up the phone and called Hotch but received no answer after calling JJ with the same result he started to worry._

"_This isn't like Hotch, he always answers on the first ring and JJ's keeps going straight to voicemail; I think something's wrong."_

"_Maybe we should call Garcia, have her trace their phones," Emily stated._

__

_Back in Quantico Garcia sat at her computer engaged in an intense game of chess with a cpu when the phone rang. Looking at the caller id, she smiled and answered the phone._

"_Penelope Garcia, aka The All-knowing Oracle of Quantico, what can I do you for Hot Stuff."_

"_I need you to run a GPS trace on Hotch and JJ's phones Baby Girl," Morgan replied._

_Garcia's face fell as she listened to the serious note in her chocolate Adonis's voice._

"_R-Run a trace, why what's wrong, did something happen to Jayje and the Boss man? Are they hurt, are they in the hospital, do I need to come down there? Where did I put my emergency bag? Oh I knew I shouldn't have worn heels today!"_

"_Garcia! Garcia! Calm down ok. We don't know for sure if something happened, they could just be running late or they might be caught in traffic. We just want to make sure they're ok." Emily responded with a comforting voice._

"_Right, just taking precautions, got it. I'll send you their exact coordinates via fax machine. Promise you'll keep me updated," Garcia answered with a stern tone of voice._

"_We will," Rossi promised._

Jennifer opened her eyes once again and sat up with a start; in the far corner of the room stood a large man with green eyes staring at her.

"Jennifer, it's about time you woke up. I was starting to think you'd miss out on the fun."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N **I am so sorry for the long update; I had a really eventful week. Here is chapter 3, a little more challenging to write. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you encouraged me to complete this chapter This has not been beta read so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Flashbacks are italicized.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Criminal Minds

"An author is a fool who, not content in boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations." **- Charles de Montesquieu**

_Jennifer opened her eyes once again and sat up with a start; in the far corner of the room stood a large man with green eyes staring at her._

"_Jennifer, it's about time you woke up. I was starting to think you'd miss out on the fun."_

JJ held her breath as the strange man started toward her and sat down in a chair near her. He made himself comfortable and continued to watch her seemingly waiting for her to say something. Finally JJ couldn't take the silence anymore and spoke.

"What do you want from me?"

"Ah, now Jennifer, why do you assume I want something from you; how do you know it's not the other way around? Maybe you want something from me, like your freedom."

"Why bother asking, we both know you give it to me," JJ retorted.

"See Jennifer, it's those types of answers that let me know that you think you're smarter than me. Just because you have a successful career doesn't mean you're any less pathetic than me. So I guess I'll just have to bring you down to my level."

The man stormed out of the room and let the door close with a bang; moments later he strode back in with a fiendish –looking instrument. It was made of a silver metal and had four, long, dangerous hooks on it.

"This, my dear Jennifer, is called the Cat's Paw; looks inviting doesn't it. What do you say we give it a test run?" he asked while heading toward her.

JJ backed up with each step the unsub took.

"Look, you don't have to do this. I apologize, I'm not smarter than you," JJ frantically replied.

"Don't lie to me Jennifer; I saw that look in your eye. You're afraid of me; you think I'm going to hurt you and you know what, you're right. But I apologize Jennifer, this isn't personal. I have to do it. I need to make my statement. I really don't think it will be right to punish you without explanation so I suppose I should tell a bit about me; since I already know so much about you. Oh where to begin.

"_Henry, get in here NOW!" 12 year old Henry glanced up from his toys and scurried into the house where his dad stood._

"_What have I told you about your grades?" his dad demanded._

_Obediently Henry looked up at his dad and recited,_

"_If you don't get your grades up you will be punished. Anything below the maximum score is not acceptable. I don't want to see an A if you can get an A+. You'll never get anywhere in life without intelligence. Always do better than your best."_

_Henry smiled at his dad and expected to be praised for remembering his dad's long tirade he gave at dinner one day. What Henry was not prepared for was the reeling blow he got from his father's hand making contact with his face. Astonished, Henry looked at his dad with confusion in his emerald green eyes._

"_I told you to always do better than your best so what do you call this?"_

_Henry stared at the paper that his father held in front of his face with his body shaking from anger. On it was his report card. Henry had received all A's like usual, with one exception. The young boy leaned closer to the paper and gasped. He had received and A- on his math grade. Henry stood up so fast he felt dizzy but he continued to back up against the wall._

"_Father please, It must be a mistake," the boy begged, "please don't hurt me."_

"_The only mistake around here is you," his father snarled._

_He raised his hand and delivered blow after blow onto the now sobbing boy._

"So there you have it, my pitiful childhood. Now can I continue what I started? What better way to prove to my father that I'm not a complete failure than my murdering two FBI agents"

JJ gulped and tried to push herself farther into the wall when she processes what her captor said.

_Two FBI agents, he must have taken Hotch as well. _

_I hope the team finds us soon, _was JJ's last thought before the cold, iron, claw came crashing down on her back and the room was filled with her screams.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. ** ~M. Kathleen Casey **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **_"Cautiously walks into room"_I am so sorry for the extremely slow update. I am very easily distracted and I just forgot about this story. Once again real life got in the way. I'll try to do better for the upcoming year. My goal is to actually finish this story eventually. Well for any of you who are still reading, on with the story. If you have any suggestions or ideas you would like to see in the story, feel free to mention them to me. Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful readers!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Criminal Minds. I offered to pay but they said 11 cents wasn't enough.

Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself**. - ****J. K. Rowling****, **_**Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone**_**"**

_I hope the team finds us soon, was JJ's last thought before the cold, iron, claw came crashing down on her back and the room was filled with her screams_

****

The man smiled as he watched the liaison fall back into the realm of the unconscious. He knelt down beside her and gently brushed her hair away from her face. Henry calmly picked up his weapon and left the room.

As he walked down the hallway he considered stopping by Hotch's room just to taunt him. He resisted the urge and continued on his way. Henry approached a hidden door deigned to blend into the wall. He turned the secret knob and walked through the passageway.

The door was a passage to a small tunnel which led to an underground bunker that hadn't been used for decades. The man walked over to an old sink that looked like it hadn't been touched since the place was built and proceeded to clean the bloody weapon.

He glanced up at the old monitors mounted on the wall and noticed that Agent Hotchner seemed to be getting impatient. He set the iron weapon down and walked over to his vast array of torture devices. His eyes swept over the instruments with glee until he selected the perfect one.

****

_For the time being back in Millstone, the team was beginning to get worried. _

"_It's been over five hours since we last heard from them, I think we can officially declare them missing," Rossi interjected._

"_You're right; it's not like them to go this long without calling," Reid responded. _

_At that moment Morgan's cell phone rang, glancing at it he announced it was Garcia._

"_Hey Baby Girl, did you find anything?" Morgan asked._

"_Nothing Morgan, their phones must be turned off because I can't trace them," Garcia replied without her usual amount of pep._

_At that moment Morgan knew it was troubling Garcia, she never called him Morgan unless she was seriously worried._

"_Relax Pretty Mama, were going to find them," Morgan assured her._

"_Until the Boss Man and my Junior G-man are back safe in my arms I will not relax," the technical analyst responded with a huff and with that she hung up._

_When Morgan got off the phone, Rossi looked around at the rest of the team and introduced his idea._

"_All right, it's getting later and we still haven't heard from Hotch or JJ. I think we need to go look for them. Hotch said they were going to the dumpsite where the last bodies were found so I think we can assume they never left. Let's start there and see what we can find. _

_As the team gathered their possessions and headed for the door, the officer who escorted Hotch and JJ rushed inside. At the sight of the man, the team breathed in a sigh of relief. Before they could get too relaxed, however; the officer ran over to them and apologized._

"_I'm sorry I only left them for a few minutes so I could take a breather. I'm not used to being around bodies so I went back to the car to get some fresh air. I was just getting ready to go back over to them to see if I could help when I got a call on the radio. A few miles away an accident had happened. Two cars collided and needed medical attention. The ambulance was responding to another call on the other side of town and would be about 20 minutes, so I went over to see if there was anything I could do."_

"_The people were just a little shaken up so I headed back to where I left the agents to see if they were done. When I got out of the car I couldn't find them. I looked around the woods for a while before I saw some tire treads that weren't there before. I found this suspicious but I was really worried when I found this._

_The officer held up a small, broken, silver chain. Emily slowly picked it up and looked at it._

"_This is JJ's necklace, she was wearing it this morning," Prentiss announced._

_The team exchanged looks with each other as realization slowly dawned on them._

_"__Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you."__** -Charlie Brown to Snoopy**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N **I'm not even going to try to explain the long wait because I don't have a good excuse. Thank you to all the people who reviewed and added me to their favorites and alert lists. They really encouraged me to finish this chapter. This chapter is dedicated to you.

I don't know if you've realized this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong." - **Lemony Snicket.**

_The officer held up a small, broken, silver chain. Emily slowly picked it up and looked at it._

"_This is JJ's necklace, she was wearing it this morning," Prentiss announced._

_The team exchanged looks with each other as realization slowly dawned on them._

****

Hotch groaned with trepidation as the iron door slowly creaked open. Henry lumbered in with one arm behind his back. He considered faking being asleep, just to see what the man would do. This idea was quickly discarded when a heavy boot collided with his side. Hotch rolled over onto his back and covered his stomach with his arms to protect it from any more damage.

Henry just stared down at Hotch and watched his grimace of pain fade before speaking.

"Hello, Agent Hotchner, glad to see you're awake. I just got back from visiting Jennifer; she really is quite a screamer."

Hotch bit back the urge to hit the man square in his mouth, knowing it would only cause more problems.

"I realize I haven't been exactly fair to you Agent. I've been so busy spending time with Jennifer, that I've forgotten you. Please allow me to make it up to you.

Henry pulled his arm from behind his back and dangled the item in front of Hotch's face. The item in question was a long, silver, freshly polished knife with a crude curved point at the end.

"You see, Agent Hotchner, this is an instrument of my own design. I made it to inflict maximum pain, and now you'll be the first to test it."

The unsub made his way over to where Hotch lay with slow, calculating steps. Hotch forced himself the shield his fear with his usual stoic expression, determined not to show this monster any weakness. However; his bravado quickly fell to pieces when the first strike of the knife pierced his skin.

Hotch howled in agony as the blade dug into his shoulder. Henry smiled at this, and for added effect made an effort of slowly pulling out the weapon so that the curved hook ripped out even more of Hotch's skin.

He repeated this process two more times before putting away his knife. By now Hotch lie on the floor, unable to muster the energy to even consider moving. He closed his eyes and imagined himself drifting away until a sharp pain cut through his stupor.

Henry was leaning over him with a cold compress pressed against his arm. He held it in place and secured the makeshift bandage with a strip of duct tape.

"Now now, can't have you dying on me this soon. I have much more in store for you and Jennifer."

Hotch just closed his eyes and wished for this nightmare to be over.

****

_The police station in Millstone was buzzing with people scurrying around. The team had convened in an abandon conference room and was in the process of profiling the unsub. After they had seen the necklace, they declared Hotch and JJ officially missing. _

"_Ok, let's go over what we know. The unsub has to be well- built and muscular. He needed to posses the strength to subdue two capable federal agents and carry their bodies away from the scene," Rossi stated._

"_Don't forget about the tire tracks," Prentiss added, "they came from a 4-wheeler so he most likely has a cabin nearby. _

_Once the team had compiled their assumptions, they announced that they were ready to give the profile. Everyone in the building gathered around, all eager to catch the person responsible for these crimes._

"_We believe the unsub, or unknown subject, is a white male, in his late early 40's, and a muscular physique," Morgan began._

"_Also, he is familiar with the area, and most likely has a cabin in the woods," Prentiss continued._

"_The unsub will also be anti-social and works with his hands, he will also work around people in positions of authority and intelligence but he will have a job of low importance," Rossi concluded._

_The group disbanded and everyone went back to work with this new information still floating in their minds._

_Once the team was alone, they went over the scenario in their heads again._

"_The most peculiar thing so far is that he knew they were in the woods, he must have known about our arrival and the fact that Hotch and JJ were going to explore the forest," Spencer declared._

"_Wait a minute, if he knew that they were going to the woods; then he has to work for the police department," Prentiss pointed out._

"_And if that's the case," Morgan concluded, "then we just gave the unsub a heads up."_

"_Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."_

**-Albert Camus**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N **Ok I admit I am the worst updater ever. I kept you waiting so long but on the plus side it's summer! This chapter is dedicated to all my amazing readers and reviewers. Also the characters thoughts are in italics.

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference_.

~ **Robert Frost**

"_The most peculiar thing so far is that he knew they were in the woods, he must have known about our arrival and the fact that Hotch and JJ were going to explore the forest," Spencer declared._

"_Wait a minute, if he knew that they were going to the woods; then he has to work for the police department," Prentiss pointed out._

"_And if that's the case," Morgan concluded, "then we just gave the unsub a heads up."_

Henry Jacobson calmly strolled into the police station and walked up to the front desk. He pulled out the chair and took a seat. Jacobson removed a key from his pocket and unlocked a desk drawer. Inside laid a name tag with the words **Henry Jacobson-Secretary**. Smiling Jacobson took a seat at his post and watched all the unsuspecting cops scurry around attempting to track down the Noah's Ark killer.

The unsub calmly sat back and waited for someone to approach his desk. "Hello, Millsbury Police Station, how may I help you?"

**Meanwhile back at the cabin.**

Hotch groaned as he pried his eyes open and forced himself not to drift back into the darkness. The unit chief began a quick assessment of his broken body before deciding that none of his multiple injuries was life threatening.

Hotch shifted his weight so that he was facing the door. Squinting, Hotch rubbed his eyes to confirm what he was seeing was real. The door that kept Hotch trapped in this prison was slightly ajar. _Could this be a trap, maybe the unsub is waiting right outside that door. _Hotch considered this possibility before remembering JJ. As unit chief it was his responsibility to protect his team and if that meant risking the unsub's fury then so be it.

Grimacing, Hotch managed to roll onto his front and somehow got onto his hands and knees. Utilizing all his strength, Hotch pulled himself to his feet and forced himself to remain standing for JJ's sake. Hotch made his slow and painful journey across the small cell to the door and gave it a weak pull; it didn't budge. Frowning, he tugged harder and the door finally gave way. However, this action sent Hotch careening to the ground where he let loose a string of curses. _Come on Aaron; get up, JJ's counting on you._ He grabbed onto the door handle for support and pulled himself upright. Hotch put his arm around his obviously broken ribs from where the unsub had kicked him and steadied himself.

Hotch slipped through the door and found himself in a darkened hallway. Determined not to give up, he pressed his hands against the wall and began walking. After a few steps, Hotch came in contact with another door against the wall. Hesitantly, Hotch felt around the door before finding a handle. After testing the knob, he let out another slew of obscenities because the door was locked.

JJ having regained consciousness a while ago sat in the corner and examined the room again looking for a way out. She had already tried the door out of hope that it might be unlocked. JJ resumed her search hoping to find something she had missed.

Her head whipped up as she heard the door knob being jiggled, She pressed herself farther into the wall and attempted to make herself invisible and blend into the wall. She crossed her fingers and prayed that it was anyone but Jacobson. JJ's eyes shot open when she heard the person behind the door swear in a voice that sounded a lot like Hotch. Taking a deep breath to somewhat calm her nerves, she shakily got to her feet. Keeping her body pressed close against the wall, JJ slowly made her trek across the room. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the door. She got as close to the door as she dared before calling out in an unsteady voice, "Hotch, is that you?"

Sighing with relief Hotch exclaimed, "JJ, JJ are you ok?"

"I'm fine Hotch, just a few bruises," JJ lied. In truth, her head was pounding from what she suspected to be a concussion and her back was still bleeding from when Jacobson had ripped out pieces of her flesh.

"Ok, just hang on JJ. I promise I'm going to get you out of there," Hotch called out through the heavy door.

Suddenly a voice boomed from behind Hotch.

"How sweet Agent Hotchner, trying to play the knight in shining armor; but it's not wise to make a promise you can't keep."

_Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal._

- **Albert Camus**

**A/N **So there you have it, another cliffhanger. Insert maniacal laugh.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N **Once again I apologize for the long update. I had a lack of motivation and it took me a few attempts but I finally managed to finish this chapter. Characters thoughts are in italics.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. -**Mark Twain**

"_I'm fine Hotch, just a few bruises," JJ lied. In truth, her head was pounding from what she suspected to be a concussion and her back was still bleeding from when Jacobson had ripped out pieces of her flesh. _

"_Ok, just hang on JJ. I promise I'm going to get you out of there," Hotch called out through the heavy door._

_Suddenly a voice boomed from behind Hotch._

"_How sweet Agent Hotchner, trying to play the knight in shining armor; but it's not wise to make a promise you can't keep."_

Hotch's eyes widened as Jacobson's large hand crashed down on his already battered shoulder making his knees buckle.

"So you thought you could escape me that easily?" Jacobson growled.

_Well, I was hoping. _Hotch thought to himself.

"Well since you want to be so close to dear Jennifer, allow me to assist you."

With one arm firmly secured around Hotch's neck, Henry reached in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a key. After undoing the lock, Jacobson swung the door open and forcefully shoved Hotch inside. The sheer force of the push caused Hotch to go flying across the room before painfully colliding with JJ; who barely had enough time to back away from the door before Jacobson slammed it open. The two of them tumbled to the floor and landed in a tangled heap.

"JJ, are you alright; did I hurt you?" Hotch's voice filled with emotion at the thought of contributing to JJ's pain. He gingerly untangled himself from her and looked her over to assess any further damage.

"I'm fine Hotch, just a little sore," she lied again. Truthfully she was in agony, she could feel blood sliding down her back and she was beginning to get a little lightheaded. However, JJ couldn't let Hotch know; it would just make him feel worse about what had happened.

"Just a little Jennifer, well we'll have to fix that now won't we. I just so happened to be on my way to see you again when I ran into Agent Hotchner. But now, since we're all here, let the games begin," Jacobson announced with a sadistic smirk on his face.

_Meanwhile back at the police station in a private conference room_

"Maybe we're going about this wrong," Rossi started, "the unsub might not be a cop."

"What do you mean Rossi," Morgan protested, "How else could the unsub possibly know all that information unless he was a cop?"

"Well, think about it, a cop would know better than to leave evidence like the tire tracks," Rossi continued.

"So you think it's someone else who works at this station, someone who could easily overhear conversations?" Prentiss questioned.

"It would make sense, someone like a janitor or a secretary could listen in on conversations without being noticed," Reid concluded.

At that moment the police captain barged into the room looking stressed.

"Look, my team got work that you guys think a cop did this?"

Rossi intervened, "Not a cop, someone who works around cops; any janitors or secretaries that ring a bell?"

The captain paused for a moment before replying, "Henry Jacobson, our secretary, there always was something odd about him. One of my officers hit a deer coming back from a scene and Jacobson asked if he could have the animal; claimed he had a cousin who was a taxidermist and was getting lessons from him. You really think Jacobson did this?"

"It makes sense, he may have felt unimportant just sitting at his desk while all the officers rushed around and ignored him. It would have been easy to overhear something," Reid added.

"Where is Mr. Jacobson anyway?" Morgan asked.

"Last I saw he was at his desk. Hey Lansing!" the captain beckoned to the young rookie, "Where's Jacobson?"

The rookie quickly scurried over to the captain. "Oh, uh, he left. He said he wasn't feeling well, asked me to tell you; guess I forgot, sorry boss." Lansing replied looking sheepish.

"Did he say where he was going?" Morgan cut in.

"Uhh, probably to his cabin; why, did Henry do something wrong?" Lansing asked feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being in trouble.

_In the meantime at the unsub's cabin_

Smiling, Jacobson pulled out a whip and with a vicious grin upon his lips; he slowly inched closer to the trembling agents.

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

- **Isaac Asimov**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N **I finally did it. This story is now complete. I managed to get inspired again and wanted to finish this story for all of you wonderful readers. Also, all locations are fictional, any relation to actual places are accidental. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Criminal Minds…yet. Let's hope Santa is feeling generous this year.

Reality is for people who lack imagination –**Unknown**

"Where is Mr. Jacobson anyway?" Morgan asked.

"Last I saw he was at his desk. Hey Lansing!" the captain beckoned to the young rookie, "Where's Jacobson?"

The rookie quickly scurried over to the captain. "Oh, uh, he left. He said he wasn't feeling well, asked me to tell you; guess I forgot, sorry boss." Lansing replied looking sheepish.

"Did he say where he was going?" Morgan cut in.

"Uhh, probably to his cabin; why, did Henry do something wrong?" Lansing asked feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being in trouble.

In the meantime at the unsub's cabin

Smiling, Jacobson pulled out a whip and with a vicious grin upon his lips; he slowly inched closer to the trembling agents.

"So you thought you could escape my punishment? Wrong!" Jacobson snarled as he circled JJ and Hotch then suddenly without warning he lashed out with his whip catching JJ on the side. Hissing, she placed her hand over her now bleeding wound and braced herself for more blows that were sure to come. Jacobson grinned with pleasure and released more wild blows in quick succession not even caring who he hit. Finally after what seemed like hours of torture, the unsub tossed his whip aside and smirked at the battered agents.

"Have a nice rest agents, I'll be back, "Jacobson said with a malicious smile upon his face. Only after he had collected his instrument of torture and left the room did either agent dare to move.

Hotch grimaced as he tried without success to push himself into a sitting position. After several failed attempts he gave up and lay back down next to JJ, who was steadily bleeding from her back which also oozed pus.

"JJ, are you ok," Hotch asked out of concern for his liaison.

"Considering that we just got beaten by unsub again, what do you think?" JJ snidely responded.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you Hotch; I just want the team to find us soon." JJ apologized.

I know, me too," Hotch replied

That was their last conversation before the two drifted off back into the ever familiar state of unconsciousness.

_Back at the station_

"Ok captain, since you're familiar with this area, where would Jacobson most likely have his cabin?" Rossi asked.

"Probably near Dead Man's Ravine, it's not far from town and has a good water supply. "

"Great, we need you to organize a team and meet be ready to go in 5," Prentiss commanded.

"You got it," and with that the captain rushed out the door.

"Morgan," Reid asked, "do you, do you think that JJ and Hotch are ok?" Reid stammered.

"Only one way to find out kid," Morgan solemnly responded as he turned to head out the door.

_At Jacobson's cabin_

Henry Jacobson smiled to himself as he thought about what he had done to the once strong agents that now lay in a crumpled heap on his floor. Pity, he thought to himself; it would take hours to clean the blood off his favorite whip. With a booming laugh, Jacobson strolled down the hall back to his captives.

"Hello agents, miss me?" Jacobson said with a sinister grin as he walked back into the room of horror with a bag in his hands. The walls were stained with fresh blood still trickling down the sides and in the center of the room lie the two agents bleeding from the numerous cuts adorning their bodies.

Hotch awoke at the sound of Jacobson's voice and when noticed the unsub had walked back into the room he instinctively shifted his body to cover JJ's exposed flesh.

"Aww, how sweet; Agent Hotchner is trying to protect dear Jennifer. A little late for that don't you think," Jacobson mocked. His only response was the fierce glare Hotch directed at him.

"Well if that's how you're going to act then maybe I'll just leave and take this food with me," Jacobson responded. Instantly Hotch's eyes zeroed in on what Jacobson was holding and discovered that the unsub was indeed carrying food in the bag.

"Oh, so you do want food, well; what do you say?" Henry teased.

"May we have the food…please?" Hotch felt his insides churn as he choked out the last word. Never in his life did he think he would be reduced to this, pleading with a criminal; the criminal he was supposed to put away.

Hotch felt a wave of shame wash over him as Jacobson tossed the bag at his feet and walked away, but before he left he uttered one final comment.

"Bon appetite, consider that a last meal," Jacobson said with an evil smile before slamming the heavy door shut behind him.

Hotch grunted as he dragged the bag closer to him and set about inspecting the sandwich and water Jacobson had given him before waking up JJ.

JJ slowly blinked her eyes as she adjusted to her surroundings. Hotch had somehow managed to prop himself up into a sitting position and was offering her a sandwich that appeared to be peanut butter on rye.

"He brought us food?" JJ questioned sounding surprised.

"Said he didn't want us to starve before he was done," Hotch smoothly lied not wanting to worry her about it being their last meal.

JJ took the sandwich but hesitated before taking a bite. "Where's yours?" she inquired looking at the empty bag.

"I ate it before I woke you." Hotch fibbed.

JJ glared at him skeptically before he answered.

"Jacobson only gave us one, you need it more than me; take it. Hotch responded in a semblance of his usual authoritative tone.

Without breaking eye contact JJ ripped the sandwich and half and practically forced the other half into Hotch's hand. "We both need food," was her only response.

Hotch opened his mouth to argue but JJ merely turned around and ignored him. Sighing loudly, Hotch took a bite and instantly felt grateful that JJ had seen through his deception. Never had a PBJ tasted so good before.

Hotch and JJ sat quietly and ate the remnants of their meal with only one thought on their minds. _Save us._

Henry Jacobson stormed outside of cabin and walked to the nearby shed. As he opened the door, he couldn't stop the grin that threatened to overtake his face. In the shed lay all his weapons. Jacobson reached out for his favorite; a long, sharp, axe. He always felt like a lumberjack when he wielded that weapon. Henry turned to go back inside where his captives awaited their death and dropped his axe in shock at what he saw.

In front of him were a group of cops and FBI standing with guns pointed at him and hatred in their eyes. Henry inwardly cursed himself; he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he never heard them sneak up on him. A muscular, dark skinned agent strode up to him and painfully yanked his arms behind his back before handcuffing him much tighter than necessary.

"Henry Jacobson, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of federal agents, and the murder of 12 law enforcement officials. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand you rights as they have been read to you?" Morgan recited with a thinly veiled, smug look of satisfaction as he roughly dragged Jacobson to the waiting officers.

Hotch and JJ subconsciously moved toward each other as they heard footsteps approaching their door. They took a sharp intake as they gripped each other as tightly as they could and prepared for Jacobson's return. The door unlocked to reveal the relieved faces of the team, minus Morgan and Garcia. Hotch and JJ sat in perfect silence as their tired minds tried to process the new information. As they looked from the team's hopeful faces to each other, they reached the same conclusion simultaneously and their faces broke into wavering grins. The team rushed forward with the paramedics in tow but the only thing on JJ and Hotch's mind was _safe at last._

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much - **Oscar Wilde**

**A/N **Hope you enjoyed the ending. Please review


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